Worship service at the evangelical church in Girona where Dani Alves preached

GironaThis week, images of former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves, implicated in an alleged rape case, have gone viral. He stood as a fervent preacher in an evangelical church in GironaThis is the Elim Church, a Pentecostal church, quite popular with the local Protestant community, located in an industrial building on the western outskirts of the city. Every week—several days—religious services are held, drawing over a hundred parishioners from some twenty different countries, primarily from Latin America, who follow the service with genuine devotion.

Seeing it up close for the first time is striking. In the images of Alves circulating online, he spoke about God with great passion, almost as if driven by a kind of spiritual force. And this is the general tone of the more than two hours that the services last. As usual, the glory of this Tuesday began with almost an hour of epic music performances, featuring singers, violins, guitars, keyboards, wind instruments, and a sound system blasting at full volume.

A group of girls appeared performing choreographed routines with colorful fabrics, while the audience, swaying constantly, followed the rhythm of the songs and sang the lyrics at the top of their lungs, which were projected on the screen as if it were karaoke, while the pastor, in the microphone, prayed with their eyes closed and their hands raised. Some were crying. performance which has nothing to do with Christian masses and which are broadcast live on YouTube and spread on social media with hashtags as #makejesusviral.

One of the pastors of the worship center, Sammy Thomas, explains to the ARA the Reasons for Dani Alves' visit"We invited him to a youth conference on Saturday with other guests from the United States. He came to share his testimony; he loves God and wants to preach His love." He added, "The congregation has received him very well. God died for sinners, and Alves has been converted by the Gospel, and this has transformed him."

The ceremony continues with more sermons, now without music but equally impassioned, from the church's senior pastor, Jimmy Martin, a native of Latin America. Later, guest pastor Charles Milander speaks, delivering his unique interpretations of the Bible with the support of a screen presentation, as if he were speaking at a corporate convention. Both preachers discuss Christian figures like Elijah, Abraham, and David, connecting them to current issues such as the world of work and technology, constantly engaging the audience. Then comes the offering, which can be made in cash, via Bizum, or by bank transfer.

An industrial building

The location of Elim Church is also unique. It sits on the border between the municipality of Sant Gregori and the Girona district of Domeny, next to the highway, in the industrial park of the Nestlé factory, which fills the area with the aroma of coffee day and night. At the entrance, worshippers mingle with runners and cyclists heading out for a run along the Ter River towards the Llémena Valley. Opposite the church is a green space where, on weekends, many parishioners spend the afternoon playing children's games, celebrating birthdays, or playing volleyball. Nearby, there is also a popular Catalan restaurant, several paddle tennis courts, an Olympic shooting range, and even a strip club.

The parishioners, however, are not from the area, neither from Sant Gregori, a small village of single-family homes and high purchasing power, nor from Domeny, a neighborhood with many newly built apartments. Most come from further afield, in their own cars or on a van service that transports them from all over the region, especially from Salt and Santa Eugenia.